1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a plasma display panel. More particularly, the invention relates to an electrode structure of a plasma display panel that may be employed to provide a more efficient plasma display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plasma display panels (PDPs) are generally flat panel display devices that display images using gas discharge phenomena. PDPs utilize visible rays generated by gas discharge of the gas maintained in a vacuum in discharge cells. The gas discharge generates vacuum ultraviolet rays (VUVs) that collide with and excite phosphors in the respective discharge cells to emit light of a corresponding color. PDPs may be used to provide large screen display devices. In particular, PDPs may be used to provide large screen display devices with high resolution.
One type of PDP has a three-electrode surface discharge structure. The three-electrode surface discharge structure generally includes a front substrate including a plurality of, e.g., two, display electrodes, and a rear substrate spaced a predetermined distance apart from the front substrate and including an address electrode. A space between the front substrate and the rear substrate may be partitioned into a plurality of discharge cells by barrier ribs. Each discharge cell may be filled with a discharge gas and each discharge cell may include a phosphor of a predetermined color.
Gas discharge may occur when a voltage is applied to electrodes of the PDP. A discharge, e.g., an address discharge, may occur when an electric is field is formed between facing surfaces of a display electrode and an address electrode and/or a discharge, e.g., a sustain discharge, may occur when a voltage is applied to a display electrode. In such three-electrode surface discharge type PDPs, the address discharge generally occurs as a result of a voltage potential created between opposing portions of the respective address and display electrodes and the sustain discharge generally occurs as a result of a surface discharge of the display electrode(s). It is known that, in general, a higher voltage may be required to induce a sustain discharge when using one or more electrodes arranged on a single plane or surface than when using opposing portions of two or more electrodes to discharge the gas existing therebetween.
In general, to display a predetermined image on such three electrode surface discharge type PDPs, multiple discharge steps are generally performed. One or all of the multiple discharge steps may negatively impact the efficiency, i.e., ratio of luminance to power consumption, of such PDPs. In general, the efficiency of such PDPs is low.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only provided to aid in the understanding of one or more aspects of the invention, and is not to be considered nor construed as constituting prior art.